You Get What you Want PEOPLE GET WHAT THEY WANT...

Every day, hundreds of millions of people use Windows to bring their passions to life. Changing the world inspires all of us who work on Windows, and it’s at the core of our mission to help people do amazing things using the power of software. And when people do amazing things, they can change the world.

(PRODUCT) RED is an innovative and sustainable way businesses and consumers can work together to change the world. Working with (RED), companies create special versions of their products with the (PRODUCT) RED brand. When you buy (PRODUCT) RED, a portion of the profits goes directly to The Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. There’s no extra cost to you.

(RED) reflects our values and is a perfect fit with our belief in the power and potential of the individual. Windows is proud to work with Dell and (RED) to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

Now your choice of a PC can help change the world.....

In about 60 days, a person with HIV/AIDS in Africa can experience a remarkable transition. It’s the result of just two pills a day of antiretroviral treatment.

You can help someone achieve this transition. Your choice of a Dell (PRODUCT) RED PC could provide more than six months of antiretroviral medication for someone living with AIDS in Africa.

We've taken Windows Vista Ultimate to the power of (RED). It has the power, security, and mobility features you need for work and all of the entertainment features you want for fun. It’s enhanced with (PRODUCT) RED wallpapers, gadgets, and a unique screen saver and DreamScene™.

See samples at right, then learn more about Windows Vista Ultimate.

Night Out for the Living Proof Project by Bill & Melinda Gates.

Monday night, the (RED)™ UK team had the pleasure of attending Bill and Melinda Gates’ event showcasing their Living Proof Project presented by our sister organization ONE. Bill and Melinda are great friends of (RED) and we were excited to be there to mark the success of the campaign. Living Proof is about sharing real success stories of governments’ investments in global health and development.

Bill and Melinda gave hard facts to demonstrate the effectiveness of smart, targeted aid. Since 2002, nearly 4 million people in Africa have been given access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment for AIDS. Since 1988, the global number of polio cases has been reduced by more than 99%. In 2010, 98 million fewer people are suffering from hunger compared to 2009. The Global Fund, the organization we work with to put grant money on the ground in Africa, fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – and saves 4,000 lives every single day from these three killer infectious diseases. These results would not have been achieved without the assistance of foreign aid.

Dr. Ebrewerk Zewdie, Global Fund Deputy Executive Director, spoke about breaking misconceptions about aid. “As an African, I can tell you that the people who receive aid are the first ones to strive for sustainability,” she said.

I left the talk with one thought in mind: the facts listed above are living proof that there has been real and dramatic progress in developing countries and this should encourage us to continue to support smart investment on health and development. You can help by choosing (PRODUCT)^REDTM items - when you buy (RED), the company that makes the product (Apple, Gap, Dell etc.) sends a portion of the profits directly to the Global Fund to invest in HIV/AIDS programs in Africa. It’s simple and it works. Since its launch, (RED) products and events have generated more than $150 million to help eliminate AIDS and every penny goes to work on the ground in Africa.

You can learn more about the Living Proof through the event webcast on ONE’s website here

Eleonore de Bernis, (RED)

You Watch (a great music video by The Killers). And Starbucks Gives.

You can watch exclusively from Starbucks here

Earlier this year, The Killers, the beloved multi-platinum Vegas rockers, announced that they were going on hiatus. Sadness coursed through the message boards.

But we, here at (RED), had a special concern. Every year, for the past 4 years, The Killers have created a Christmas song for (RED) and sold it on iTunes, raising significant money to help fight AIDS. It has become a holiday tradition for (RED). But now, with the band on hiatus and lead singer Brandon Flowers off touring his (genius) solo record, we were concerned our Killers stocking would be empty this year.

Turns out we had no reason to worry. The Killers have just released “Boots,” their fifth annual Christmas song for (RED). It’s a gorgeous, nostalgic, exuberant retelling of “It’s A Wonderful Life.” You can buy it on iTunes here and proceeds go to the Global Fund, the recipient of (RED) funds.

As Brandon Flowers wrote, “Our Christmas single with (RED) is one of our traditions as a band. We didn’t want to let it fall by the wayside just because we’re on hiatus; this cause is too important. (RED) is an organization that we’re proud to help support, and we’re thrilled that Starbucks will be hosting our video for charity this year as well.”

That last bit, about the video, is extra cool. The Killers got Jared Hess, director of Napoleon Dynamite, to create a video for “Boots” – in the spirit of “It’s A Wonderful Life”, featuring a street busker named Brad Prowly.

And Starbucks is making the video even more powerful. For every view on World AIDS Day, December 1, Starbucks will contribute 5 cents to the Global Fund. When was the last time you could help somebody by watching a cool video? Check it out exclusively from Starbucks here.

For Starbucks, this is just an online version of the special way they mark World AIDS Day in their stores. On World AIDS Day, just as they did last year, Starbucks will contribute 5 cents to the Global Fund for every handcrafted beverage in their North American and UK stores (in the UK it’s 5p).

So visit your local Starbucks and while you are standing there sipping your Americano, watch the video on your iPhone and you’ll be doing two (RED) things at once!

Oh and pick up the new Jonathan Adler-designed (Starbucks) RED Card and you can turn all your purchases (RED) at Starbucks, all year long.

Watch THE LAZARUS EFFECT film on World AIDS Day - December 1st

On Wednesday December 1st the THE LAZARUS EFFECT film is being broadcast in over 60 countries across the world. THE LAZARUS EFFECT is a 30-minute documentary by (RED), HBO and Anonymous Content, directed by Lance Bangs and executive produced by Spike Jonze. THE LAZARUS EFFECT follows the story of people in Africa with HIV/AIDS who can undergo a remarkable transformation in as few as 40 days when they gain access to the 2 lifesaving pills that cost around 40 cents a day.

Below is a list of all of the countries and networks running the film on World AIDS Day, December 1st - please check your local listings for times.

You can also watch THE LAZARUS EFFECT anytime and anywhere on (RED)’s YouTube page.

1. Autentic, South Africa

2. Canal Once, Mexico

3. Channel 4, United Kingdom

4. Fox, Latin America

5. Foxtel, Australia

6. Futura, Brazil

7. HBO, United States

8. Maori TV, New Zealand

9. Noga, Israel

10. RTP, Portugal

11. SBS, Australia

12. Turner, South East Asia

13. TV Brazil

14. TVE, Spain

15. Wananchi, Kenya

A Few Words from Concillia of The Lazarus Effect Film

My name is Concillia Muhau and my story, and those of three of my countrymen, is depicted in the film The Lazarus Effect, which was produced by (RED) and re-aired on HBO on December 1, World AIDS Day.

In the six months since the film originally aired on HBO, my life has continued to change for the better. I am now a peer educator at the Kanyama Clinic, I’m training at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, and my four year old daughter Natasha continues to thrive in school. This is all great news, but things might have been very different if I had not had access to lifesaving treatment which keeps my disease at bay and prevented the transmission of HIV to Natasha during childbirth. Because of funding by organizations like the Global Fund, PEPFAR and (RED), HIV positive people like me now have access to medication and a chance at life and babies in Zambia and many other countries are increasingly less likely to be born HIV positive.

My story is not so different from many others in Africa. I began taking antiretroviral medication about six years ago and while I was blessed to receive the drugs, I didn't realize I would need to take them for the rest of my life. After I felt strong again, I thought, "I feel better, so why should I continue taking the pills?" After some time I became so sick that I was close to death, which you can see in the film. I realized that I had to take the ARVs again, this time knowing that they will keep me alive if I commit to taking them every day for the rest of my life. Now, I feel like I've been given another chance to be able to take care of my beautiful daughter.

One young woman who was not as fortunate was Bwalya Liteta, who, along with me, shared her story in The Lazarus Effect film. She passed away in August at the age of 12 from AIDS complications. Bwalya had lost both her parents and she, like me, had battled back from near death with the help of medication. The most powerful message that we can take away from Bwalya’s death is the importance of giving our children a fighting chance at birth and making sure they are not born with HIV.

The good news is that this is very possible. Today, almost half of the HIV positive pregnant women who need treatment to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies receive it. Within five years, we can reach 100% of women who need this treatment. That means that by 2015, we can have a whole generation of babies born free of this disease and reach one of the most important milestones in the fight against AIDS.

I have been blessed with the healthy daughter and I hope that we will all stand together to make this dream a reality for all mothers who are living with HIV.
- Concillia Muhau

Watch The Lazarus Effect here and a recent update on the individuals featured in the film here.

An AIDS Free Generation by Ethan Zohn

Today is World AIDS Day and I’m writing to pass on some really cool news. We are right around the corner from achieving one of the most important milestones in the fight against AIDS – virtually eliminating mother-to-child transmission of the disease by 2015.

For nearly ten years, I’ve dedicated myself, through my work with Grassroot Soccer, to educating young people across Africa – the region hardest hit by this disease -- on the importance of knowing their status and how to stay HIV negative. Our goal is to create a generation that is more informed and better equipped to beat this disease. During my trips to Africa, I come into contact with children who have lost one or both parents to HIV (nearly 14 million children across Africa have been orphaned by AIDS) or with children who are HIV positive themselves (90% of all children who contract the disease are in Africa). This is not OK.

What I have realized is that the most powerful thing that can be done to equip these kids is to give them an HIV-free, healthy start at life. And, that is completely possible. The treatment exists to virtually eliminate the chance that an HIV positive pregnant woman will pass the virus to her baby and yet only about half of all women who need the treatment have access -- over 1,000 babies are born every day with the disease. The amazing thing is that more than a dozen global health organizations have come together to work to increase access to treatment to all women who need it, and virtually eliminate transmission of the disease, by 2015.

Still, this is just one step in the right direction. We must maintain pressure on governments and these organizations to continue the progress – to maintain funding and focus on the issue so that this goal is achieved. Today, (RED) is launching a campaign “The AIDS Free Generation is Due in 2015” to help get people involved and raise awareness of this goal around the world. We’re asking people to tweet with #turnred, turn their Facebook profile picture (RED), to shout #turnred when checking in to foursquare to unlock the (RED) 2015 badge and more. Every action will help turn a map of the world (RED) to show the support spread around the world.

It will be a beautiful day when every child starts life without the burden of this disease. That day is not too far away.

Learn more at WWW.JOINRED.COM.

Ethan Zohn was a professional soccer player for the Hawaii Tsunami and Cape Cod Crusaders and in Zimbabwe for Highlanders Football Club. He is also the winner of the hit reality show, Survivor:Africa and used his prize money to co-found Grassroot Soccer, which uses the power of soccer to provide African youth with the knowledge, life-skills and support to live HIV-free.

(PENGUIN CLASSICS) RED – Now Available in the US and Canada!

PENGUIN CLASSICS (PRODUCT)RED™ are now available in the United States and Canada too! That means you can now get (PENGUIN CLASSICS) RED around the world.

Penguin Classics have partnered with (PRODUCT) RED bring you a selection of some of the best books ever written, capturing the imagination of millions of readers around the world, transforming the way people think, feel and read forever. Now they’re available in the United States and Canada just in time to commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1st, and fifty percent of Penguin’s profits from these titles will go to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS.

Renowned Penguin cover designers (including Coralie Bickford-Smith—Dangerous Book for Boys, Penguin Hardcover Classics) have lent their drafting hands to create vibrant, new packages for vibrant, beloved titles: The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, Silas Marner by George Eliot, Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence, and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James all get the (PRODUCT) RED design treatment.

In addition to these six titles that are available in the US, Penguin Canada has partnered with Indigo, Canada’s largest book retailer, and will release an additional 10 classics in Canada for the 2010 holiday gift-giving season. “The message of this campaign is that these great books still have the power to change lives—and literally, to save lives” says Indigo CEO Heather Reisman

Check them out here and make sure to get your hands on a few copies.
In the US: www.penguinclassics.com/red
In Canada: www.penguinclassics.ca/red

(NIKE)RED Tackles AIDS with the UK Parliamentary Teams On World AIDS Day

(NIKE) RED was centre-stage at the World AIDS Day Parliamentary football match in London last week. The United Nations football team took on the UK MPs team, to raise awareness of the goal of eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV by 2015. With the help of the great team at Nike, everyone on the United Nations team stood out in their (RED) kit, right down to their (NIKE)RED laces, and declared the possibility of an AIDS Free Generation due in 2015 across their shirts.

The teams braved the snow and ice to play the match, ensuring the message was extended throughout the United Nations community, UK Parliament and throughout the MPs’ constituencies across the UK. The possibility of an AIDS Free Generation is a message that is of significant priority for the UN and Parliamentary teams. Russell Brown MP, Shadow Defence Minister and player on the Parliamentary team, who helped organise the match, had this to say:

“Each year nearly half a million babies are born with HIV or contract it through their mother’s breastmilk. But there are simple and affordable medicines to prevent this. We’re asking the Government to support the campaign for an AIDS Free Generation born in 2015.”

Spreading the Word: 'An AIDS Free Generation is Due in 2015'

This World AIDS Day many friends of (RED) shared their thoughts about the goal of creating an AIDS free generation by 2015. Read on to hear what Michel Kazatchkine from the Global Fund, Malaak Compton-Rock, Kelly Rutherford, Alan Cumming, Ethan Zohn and more had to say.

A big thank you to each of them for raising their voices on behalf of this important issue and helping us to raise awareness and educate about this goal.

(RED) CEO Susan Smith Ellis on Huffington Post

(RED) CMO Jen Willig on Tonic.com

(RED) Director, Digital Strategy & Marketing Chrysi Philalithes on 140hope.org

Executive Director of the Global Fund Michel Kazatchine on Huffington Post

Converse CMO Geoff Cottrill on Adage.com

Djimon Hounsou on CNN.com

Kelly Rutherford on Popeater.com

Alan Cumming on Alancumming.com

Malaak Compton-Rock on Parents.com and ONE.org

Lance Bangs, director of (RED)'s documentary The Lazarus Effect, on Tonic.com

OUT.com

Twitter.com

Foursquare.com

Encouraging Words from Stephen W. Nicholas M.D Founder and Director of the Columbia University International Family AIDS Program

Stephen W. Nicholas, M.D. is a good friend of (RED) and Founder and Director of the Columbia University International Family AIDS Program. He shares his outlook on the potential of eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV:

The UNAIDS Global Report released recently contained mostly encouraging news about the ongoing efforts to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. In a nutshell, the number of people with HIV/AIDS in the world is stabilizing.

The greatest success is happening in the push to end mother-to-child transmission of the disease. In Sub-Saharan Africa – the region most profoundly impacted by the epidemic – new HIV infections among children have dropped 32%, according to the report, as more countries have adopted and implemented effective treatment regimens.

One of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals is to virtually eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV worldwide by 2015. It may sound like a short deadline for an awfully ambitious goal, but the fact is that it is entirely attainable.

We’ve seen how it can work here in the U.S. In New York State, in particular, the Department of Health AIDS Institute created programs and implemented policies over the last two decades that have essentially eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

From the start, New York State – and especially New York City -- has led the nation in the number of men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. At the peak of the epidemic in 1990, an estimated 475-759 HIV-infected babies were born in New York State; by 2008, that number dropped to an astonishingly low six – a 99% reduction.

How was this turnaround accomplished? Primarily through HIV screening of pregnant women and the administration of effective ARV medications to pregnant women and newborns. De-stigmatization of HIV testing and smart public health programs and policies were also critical factors.

While the HIV/AIDS epidemic hasn’t ended in New York, there has been so much success in preventing mother-to-child transmission and pediatric HIV/AIDS that we are able to realistically speak of its imminent elimination. It is a truly incredible public health success story that can be replicated in Africa.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – with support from nations of the world and innovative private funding sources like (RED) – has joined a group of NGOs in making this a priority. If these organizations are given the necessary resources, we may be ready to welcome the first generation of babies born HIV-free in decades. It will be a critical milestone in the battle against HIV/AIDS and the basis of a solid foundation for the broader effort to eradicate this pandemic altogether.

Discover New Music This Year from RED

Looking for a New Year Resolution that will help save lives? If you vowed that 2011 would be the year when you helped to make a difference, then start by downloading the latest version of the (SHAZAM) RED app for iPhone and iPod touch. Shazam contributes 20% of the price to the Global Fund to invest in HIV/AIDS programs.

The updated (SHAZAM) RED App offers a great new design, faster tagging, in-App videos, Tag Charts from 20 countries and a new shortcut menu to preview, buy and share music – but more importantly, the Shazam (PRODUCT) RED™ app helps save lives. Now that’s a great way to start your New Year!

If you’re already using (SHAZAM) RED then make sure you upgrade to Version 3. New users can download the (SHAZAM) RED App for $5.99 / €4.10 / £3.49 from iTunes here.

Get (SHAZAM) RED and Save Lives!

Hope for an AIDS Free Generation

A few words from Dr. Patricia Nkansah-Asamoah from the TEMA Clinic in Ghana, which receives (RED) funds.

I celebrated World AIDS Day last week feeling very hopeful that we are well on our way to reaching one of the most important goals in the fight against AIDS – to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV by the year 2015 and create the first generation of babies born HIV/AIDS free in nearly three decades.

As a physician who works at Tema General Hospital in Ghana, I have the privilege of seeing first-hand the profound impact that this effort is having on the people of Ghana. Compared with the rest of Africa, Ghana has been relatively fortunate in evading a full-blown AIDS pandemic. Yet Sub-Saharan Africa, of course, is home to the majority of HIV patients. For instance, of the 33 million people who have AIDS around the world, 22 million – a full two-thirds -- live in Africa. Africa is home to 14 million children who’ve lost one or both parents to AIDS.

And yet, despite the grim statistics, there are stories of hope. Take for instance, one of my HIV positive patients, Ruth, who has a beautiful HIV-negative daughter Bernadetta. Ruth was diagnosed with HIV in 2004 when she was pregnant. Ruth visited Tema General Hospital for routine antenatal care and, when tested for HIV, was found to be positive. The diagnosis was a shock for Ruth and, at first, she was devastated and worried that her child would die of the virus. Because our hospital has access to the appropriate treatment through funding from organizations like the Global Fund, I was able to treat her to help prevent transmission to her baby. I put Ruth on ARV treatment to help lower the viral load in her body. After birth, Bernadetta was also given ARV medication specifically formulated for infants. Bernadetta then was tested periodically until he was 1 ½ years old. She is HIV negative and thriving.

By far the most gratifying part of my job is taking an HIV positive mother through labor and delivery, and following up with her and being able to tell her after 18 months that her baby is HIV negative. I have seen, first-hand, that when mothers have access to ARVs, they use them. And when they use them the chances of vertical transmission (when the virus travels inadvertently from the pregnant mother to her child) are minimal. At Tema General Hospital, a mere 5% of babies whose mothers have begun treatment test positive.

I am hopeful that as we focus our energy and resources on eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015, that our transmission rate will drop to zero and I’ll have more stories like Ruth where we are able to give our babies the gift of being HIV-free at birth.

This will not only be an incredible moment for that generation, but for generations to follow as we will finally get one step ahead of this virus as our children start their lives healthy.

Of course, there is always more to do. We need better facilities and equipment. We need more staff. But most important, we need the continued commitment from the global community so we can keep up this life-saving work, which is giving the people of Ghana, Africa at large and our children new hope for the future.

- Dr. Patricia Nkansah-Asamoah